Display sign construction



April 24, 1934. F. R. CLARK DISPLAY SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 11 1931 INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

50 ened borders around the periphery of the display Patented Apr. 24, 1934 UNETE!) STATES DISPLAY SIGN CONSTRUCTION Frank it. Clark, Cincinnati, Ohio; Caroline M.

Clark, executrix of said Frank R. Clark, lieceased Application September 11, 1931, Serial No. 562,325

6 Claims. (or. 40-431) My invention relates to the art of display signs and particularly illuminated display signs such as those used for advertising Various'kinds of gasoline, lubricating oil and the like.'

In the art, it is old and well known to manufacture display signs by preparing blown glass globes having circular front and back faces of semispherical conformation against which circular convex plates are secured, the plates having'the display material applied thereto through which the rays of light from an electric lamp housed within the globe radiate, thereby showing the image of the display material. The globes-used in the manufacture of such signs are usually of semi-translucent white glass, and the double thickness of the semi-translucent glass and the display disc tran parency causes a material decrease in the brilliancy of the display disc over that which would be shown f the light rays from the electric lamp were arranged to shine directly through the transparency.

Metal frames have been used having front and rear faces contoured to receive the semispherical and other shapes of glass display plates, but the metal tends to rust and corrode at the edges against which the plates are attached, thereby permitting weathering and oxidation of the display material due to exposure to the elements.

The blown glass globes as well as the metal frames are heavy and require expensive delivery and assembly charges. Further, due to the unevenness of the ser. i-spherical surface of the glass globes, it frequently happens that when the semi-spherical display plates are attached the unevenness of the curvature causes a strain on the plates, causing them to crack. It is also another objection to the usual types of glass globes which have been used for display signs, that they must be completely assembled and shipped to the customer, thereby making impractical to replace the plates if they accidentally become cracked or broken.

It is an object of my invention to prepare a weatherproof glass frame for receiving illuminative display discs which does not require a double thickness display face, thereby eliminating the excessive weight of the old glass globe type. Further, it is an object to provide a display sign which is undimmed in intensive brilliance in the display portion, and in which clouded and darkplates due to the double thickness of the globe and the display faces, is eliminated.

It is further an object of my invention to provide a glass frame having a contoured annular attaching face which will cause the tensioning of a metallic rim fastener with which the display discs are preferably mounted, thereby avoiding strain on the glass.

In the manufacture of my novel frames it is my object to disclose a new'art of preparing a frame from a blown globe by arranging the shape'of the globe so that openings for receiving display discs may-be made by a simple grinding or other severing operation which is entirely practical for large scale factory production.

The above objects, and other objects to which reference will be made in the ensuing disclosure, I accomplish by the procedure and the combination and arrangement of parts of which I have disclosed a preferred embodiment.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the blown globe from which my frame is made.

Figure 2 is a verticalsectional viewof' the assembly of the'frame and display discs in a completedsign,

In Figure l the blown globe from which my frame is made is illustrated. The frame hasa curved top portion 1, an annular'concave channel 2 and a flanged annularrim 3, the front and rear faces 4 of the globe being flat circular disc like members. The base 5 of the globe is formed as indicated with outwardly flaring ridge.

After the globe is blown it is'exposed with its front and rear faces preferably to grinding wheels which grind oif the flanged annular rims to the lines indicated at a-a in Figure 1 which, it will be observed, permits the disc-like faces to drop out of the frame. The frame thus formed comprises an annular rim-like member composed of glass with an integrally formed supporting base. The front and rear faces not forming part of the sign, may either be returned to cullet or employed'for uses in which circular contoured glass plates are required. V V

In assembling a display sign with my new glass frame, front and back discs 6 of glass or other suitable light-transmitting material are provided *having display material '7 formed on the faces through which shine the light rays from an electric lamp mounted within the frame. In order to hold the display discs, which may be of semispherical or of other suitable shape, metallic rims are provided which have annular concave return bent flanges 8 which fit around the edges of the display discs, There are flat annular flanges 9 provided with opening 10 which register with openings 11 in the concave channels 2. The openings 11 may result from blown tips 11a or thimble-like formations which, as indicated in Figure 1, may be originally blown in the globe an later cut or ground off leaving the openings 11. Bolts 12 are inserted through the registered openings and nuts 13 are secured on the bolts.

Since the flanges 2 are concave, when the bolts 12 are drawn down the flanges 9 of the rims are distorted out of shape, causing a spring tension which takes the strain off the edges of the display discs and increases the air tightness of the annular joint between the discs and the frame.

It is a particular commercial advantage to the display sign made with my novel frame, that the frames can be shipped separately to the userand the display discs installed with little difficulty. If the discs become broken they may be readily replaced, and when dust leaks into the frame the discs may be readily removed for cleaning.

The base of the frame may be mounted on a suitable pedestal. The source of illumination within the assembledsign radiates clearly through the display discs without dark shaded areas being formed around the edges. The mechanical devices for holding the discs in place are not visible and with the single thickness of glass the illumination is much more brilliant than in display signs in which there are two thicknesses ofglass.

Further, due to the mounting arrangement, there is no thin air space between double glass sheets which have been found inthe past to trap moisture when the cement between the layers deteriorates. Thus, my sign is more resis'tantto weather corrosion than any signs of which I have previously been advised.

By making an independent frame for supporting the display transparencies, it will be obvious thatthe framecan be made of a different colored 1. The art of manufacturing glass frames for retaining semi-spherical glass display plates which consists in blowing a glass globe having opposed disc-like faces and an outwardly extending rim, grinding off the rim and releasing the disc-like faces from the globe thereby forming the frame.

"2. A display sign comprising an open faced glass'supporting frame having semi-spherical display faces retained within the frame, said faces having resilient rim members enclosing their peripheral edges, said frame having concave annular channels against which said rim members are tensioned.

3. In an illuminative display device, an annular glass frame provided with a channel having tapered walls, a ring seated in said channel and engaging the tapered walls, said ring having a display plate retaining channel and a flange portion, and means engaging the ring and-frame to force the ring in the tapered channel to provide a seal between the ring and the frame.

4. A display sign comprising an open faced glass supportingframe having display faces retained thereby and closing the open faces thereof, said faces having resilient rims enclosing their peripheral edges, and members engaging the inner portions of said rims and attaching them to the frame adjacent to its open faces, said frame havingconcave annular channels against which said rim members are tensioned.

5. A display sign comprising an open faced glass supporting frame having display faces retained within the frame, said faces having resilient rim members enclosing their peripheral edges, 

